


Footsteps That You Hear Down the Hall

by outruntheavalanche



Series: Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Noir, Drabble, Gen, Kidnapping, Not Beta Read, Private Investigators, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 19:51:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8681218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outruntheavalanche/pseuds/outruntheavalanche
Summary: Finn strides into the man’s office, reaches into the inner lining of his jacket, and pulls out an envelope of cash which he drops on his desk.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theladiesyouhate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theladiesyouhate/gifts).



> I originally posted this first section on tumblr as a response to a meme prompt and just found it in a folder of unfinished stuff. It was going to tie into the Detroit jazz scene and the mob/mafia.
> 
> Maybe someday I'll actually properly finish a noir AU.
> 
> Title from "Laura," by Frank Sinatra.

Finn strides into the man’s office, reaches into the inner lining of his jacket, and pulls out an envelope of cash which he drops on his desk. The man flicks his eyes down at the money and then back up at Finn, subtly lifting his eyebrows. Finn’s not sure if it’s in question— _who are you and what’s this money for_ —or an acknowledgment of the audacity it takes to just walk into Poe Dameron’s office uninvited.

The door swings open behind Finn and the secretary—Jessika—pokes her head in. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dameron. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“It’s fine, Jess,” Dameron says, waving her away. He motions to Finn to sit down, but Finn remains on his feet, standing in front of his cluttered desk.

Finn runs his fingers lightly over a snowglobe. 

Dameron kicks his feet off his desk and touches the wrinkled envelope. “How can I help you?”

“I need to find a friend and someone passed your name and business card on to me,” Finn says, fishing in his pocket for the crumpled business card Snap Wexley had shoved at him earlier that morning.

Dameron picks up the envelope of Finn’s cash—all the money he’d been saving up for train fare out of town—and fans himself with it, propping his feet on a stack of papers and folders on his desk. The window’s open, wispy curtains fluttering faintly with the breeze. Finn can hear happy, distant, child-like shouts and the sound of rushing water. Someone must have opened a fire hydrant. Finn can almost feel the cool water on his own sweat-soaked skin.

“It’s a hot one, huh,” Dameron says conversationally, gently setting the envelope on top of a manila folder.

“Will you help me or not?” Finn presses, pulling his hand away from the snowglobe to shove them in the pockets of his trousers. “She—this friend is very important to me and I think… I think she got mixed up with the wrong people. I think she might’ve been kidnapped.”

Dameron kicks his heels off a stack of folders and papers and sits up straight behind his desk, shedding the casual, semi-disinterested air like a suit coat. “What’s your friend’s name?”

“Rey. Rey Skywalker,” Finn says, his voice catching. He swallows and grips his hands into fists in his pockets. “Last I saw her, she was heading off to Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. This was two nights ago. I haven’t seen or heard from her since.”

“Anyone who’d wanna do her wrong?” Dameron asks.

“Just… Just her cousin,” Finn says. “Lotta conflict in that family. Her cousin Ben has got some issues with her dad. He blames ’em on her.”

Dameron nods slowly and steeples his fingers under his chin. “I’ll help you.” He picks up the envelope and pulls open a drawer, dropping the money in and shutting it.

“You didn’t even look,” Finn says, only a little bit annoyed that Dameron didn’t inspect the money to see it was all there. 

“I trust you,” Dameron says, getting up and plucking a brown bomber jacket off the back of his chair. He shrugs on the jacket and looks at Finn. “I’m Poe. Poe Dameron.” He extends a callused hand to Finn; the skin of his palm looks rough and coarse, and there are black stains on his fingertips. 

_He’s probably a mechanic on the side_ , Finn thinks absently.

He accepts Dameron’s hand and squeezes. “I’m… I’m Finn,” he says, because it’s the closest thing to the truth, the closest thing to a name. He doesn’t know Dameron well enough to spew his life story, anyhow. 

Plus, they’re not friends. Finn doesn’t even know if he can really trust Dameron. All he knows is he has to find Rey as soon as possible, and everything in him is telling Finn that Poe Dameron is his best chance to find her alive.


End file.
